I was told by the friendly folks at the ultra modern hostel (with a very rundown exterior - I nearly fainted at first sight) I was staying at that I have to see the Caixa Forum 'cos it was "very interesting". Indeed, this very eye-catching flora wall is the cause of a perpetual pedestrian traffic jam at the street.
It was a cloudy day, so the wall isn't as brilliant as it looks in real life.
This is a must-see in Madrid. Well, to be precise, it is outside Madrid, in El Escorial. This is the Monasterio de El Escorial. The whole complex is huge and was King Philip II of Spain's palace. Well, it also houses a monastery (thus the name) that is still active today. King Philip was a deeply religious person.
Particularly memorable was the crypt for the kings in the palace. If I recall correctly, there are 23 marble (green & gray) tombs, each for the king and queen who produced the heir to the throne. 3 are empty. Why? The supposed occupants were too tall. And therefore, they were in the process of being "shrunk" (i.e. through decomposition) in a separate "resting place". After which, only his/her bones would be put in the marble tomb. (!) Outside the royal crypt, was a whole stretch of over 100 tombs. These were for the princes and princesses etc. Apparently, intermarriages, which were very common then, had resulted in quite a few early deaths. For example, King Philip II's 4th wife was his niece. (He couldn't produce an heir, thus the multiple marriages.)
The other memorable place was the basilica. Since I'd visited on a Sunday afternoon, I was able to observe an ongoing Mass. I must say, it was beautiful. Perhaps it was the acoustics, perhaps it was the solemnness & dignity of the whole ceremony, perhaps it was just 'cos I'd spent the past 2 hours steeped in history but whatever it was, I was very moved. The other highlight of the monastery was the precious artwork - Tintoretto, El Greco, Titian, Velazquez and other masters whom I don't know about.
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